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Counterwise

FAO · Report · November 2026

Faro Airport car hire report

Key numbers for the 17 car rental desks we rate at Faro – Gago Coutinho International Airport (FAO), computed from our published data.

Data updated · reviewed by our editor on · Methodology

Desks rated
17
4,179 reviews analysed
Average score
5.5/10
median 5.0
Median starting deposit
€200
9 of 17 deposits known
No credit card needed
6%
1 of 17 desks, 4 not confirmed

Key findings

  • Counterwise rates 17 car rental desks at Faro – Gago Coutinho International Airport (FAO): 2 Great (8 or more out of 10), 2 Mixed (6 to 7.9) and 13 Poor (below 6). The average Counterwise Score is 5.5/10.
  • The best-rated desk at Faro Airport is Best Deal (8.8/10); the lowest-rated is Europcar (3.0/10).
  • Where the deposit is known (9 of 17 desks), the typical starting deposit at Faro Airport is €200 (median), from €0 at Record Go up to €2,100 at Centauro.
  • 1 of 17 desks at Faro Airport (6%) do not require a credit card (debit cards accepted); the card rule is not confirmed yet for 4 desks.
  • 7 desks at Faro Airport are in the terminal (average score 5.0) and 10 are off-site, reached by shuttle (average 5.9).
  • The most common traveller complaints at Faro Airport are damage charges after return (14 of 17 desks), pressure to buy insurance or extras (14 of 17 desks) and fuel charges or fuel policy (11 of 17 desks).

Score distribution

How the 17 desks split across our score bands.

Best and worst desks

Lowest rated

  1. 17. EuropcarA large share of recent reviews say optional insurance, roadside assistance, toll device or location fees were added to the contract signed on a tablet (often Portuguese-only) even though customers say they declined them. Extra charges ranged from about 50 to over 500 EUR and were seen after the rental. Reviewers say customer service refused refunds because the contract was signed.3.0 · Poor
  2. 16. Green MotionAbout 50 recent reviews report that a debit, combined debit/credit, name-mismatch or 'short validity' card was refused for the deposit. Travellers then had to buy the desk's own top cover (typically several hundred euros, non-refundable) or leave without a car, often when they had prepaid through a broker.3.7 · Poor
  3. 15. SurpriceMany reviews (about 24 in the last 12 months, roughly 40 overall) say small marks or chips found at return were charged at about €130-500, often under time pressure before a flight, even when the traveller says the marks were already on the car or documented. Forum threads dated 2025-2026 describe the same pattern.4.2 · Poor

Deposits and card rules

Deposits

Lowest starting deposit
€0 (Record Go)
Highest amount
€2,100 (Centauro)
Median starting deposit
€200
Deposit known
9 of 17 desks

Not confirmed yet for 8 desks: left out of these figures.

All deposits, lowest first →

Credit card or debit card

No credit card needed (debit accepted)
1 of 17 · 6%
Credit card required
12 of 17 · 71%
Not confirmed yet
4 of 17 · 24%

Debit cards accepted at: Record Go.

In the terminal or by shuttle

In the terminal
7
avg score 5.0
Short walk
0
none
Shuttle
10
avg score 5.9

Desks reached without a shuttle average 5.0/10; shuttle desks average 5.9/10.

In-terminal vs shuttle, compared →

Most common traveller complaints

Number of desks whose published red flags mention each problem. A desk counts once per theme; one red flag can touch several themes.

  1. Damage charges after return14 of 17 · 82%

    Charges for scratches, chips or dents that travellers say were already there or tiny. Desks: Autorent, Enterprise, Hertz, Record Go, Centauro, Goldcar, OK Mobility, Avis, Sixt, Budget, AirAuto, Surprice, Green Motion, Europcar.

  2. Pressure to buy insurance or extras14 of 17 · 82%

    Hard selling of the desk’s own cover, upgrades or extras, or cover added without clear consent. Desks: Autorent, Sicily by Car, Hertz, Drive on Holidays, Centauro, Goldcar, OK Mobility, Avis, Sixt, Budget, AirAuto, Surprice, Green Motion, Europcar.

  3. Fuel charges or fuel policy11 of 17 · 65%

    Refuelling fees despite a full tank, part-empty tanks at pickup, or a different fuel policy at the desk. Desks: Hertz, Record Go, Drive on Holidays, Centauro, Goldcar, OK Mobility, Avis, Sixt, Budget, AirAuto, Green Motion.

  4. Toll device pushed or charged11 of 17 · 65%

    Toll transponders sold or charged without a clear explanation of the cost. Desks: Enterprise, Record Go, Drive on Holidays, Centauro, Goldcar, OK Mobility, Sixt, AirAuto, Surprice, Green Motion, Europcar.

  5. Deposit or refund held back10 of 17 · 59%

    Deposits, holds or refunds released late, only in part, or not at all. Desks: Record Go, Drive on Holidays, Centauro, Goldcar, OK Mobility, Sixt, AirAuto, Surprice, Green Motion, Europcar.

  6. Car refused over card, licence or flight rules9 of 17 · 53%

    Pickups refused or made conditional because of card type, licence or permit, or a missing flight ticket or boarding pass. Desks: Sicily by Car, Record Go, OK Mobility, Sixt, Budget, AirAuto, Surprice, Green Motion, Europcar.

  7. Hard-to-reach customer service8 of 17 · 47%

    Phone lines, emails or complaints unanswered for weeks after the rental. Desks: Hertz, Record Go, Drive on Holidays, Centauro, Avis, Sixt, Budget, Europcar.

  8. Long queues or waits7 of 17 · 41%

    Long waits at the desk, for the keys or for the shuttle. Desks: Sicily by Car, Drive on Holidays, Centauro, Goldcar, AirAuto, Surprice, Europcar.

  9. Booking not honoured or price changed7 of 17 · 41%

    Booked car not available, a smaller or different car, a higher price at the desk, or fees not clear at booking. Desks: Hertz, Record Go, Goldcar, Avis, Budget, Surprice, Green Motion.

  10. Car condition problems6 of 17 · 35%

    Dirty cars, warning lights, worn tyres or breakdowns. Desks: Enterprise, Hertz, Record Go, OK Mobility, Green Motion, Europcar.

  11. Closed desk or late-arrival problems5 of 17 · 29%

    Desk closed for late arrivals, bookings cancelled after a flight delay, or out-of-hours fees. Desks: Centauro, Goldcar, Budget, AirAuto, Green Motion.

  12. Other fees after the rental3 of 17 · 18%

    Cleaning, admin, traffic-fine handling or late-return fees charged after the car was returned. Desks: Enterprise, Record Go, AirAuto.

  13. Rude or unhelpful staff2 of 17 · 12%

    Curt, dismissive or aggressive staff at the desk, at return or on the shuttle. Desks: Goldcar, Green Motion.

  14. Desk, shuttle stop or return hard to find1 of 17 · 6%

    Poor signs or directions to the desk, the shuttle pickup point or the car return area. Desks: Autorent.

The data behind this report

  • 4,179 traveller reviews analysed across 17 desks.
  • 4,691 recent reviews read; 512 (11%) excluded by our cleaning step as unreliable (mostly solicited staff praise: 460; duplicates: 21; about another location: 18). How reviews are cleaned
  • Data collected on 12 November 2026; scores last updated 12 November 2026.
  • Summaries and red flags reviewed by our editor on 12 November 2026.
  • Complaint themes are counted with a fixed keyword list applied to each desk’s published red flags (no AI), so the same data always gives the same counts.
  • Unknown facts (“Not confirmed yet”) are left out of averages, medians and ranges, never guessed. Full methodology

How to cite this report

You are welcome to quote these figures. Please name Counterwise and link to this page. The numbers update with each data refresh, so mention the date.

Suggested citation

Counterwise (2026). Faro Airport car hire report, November 2026. Counterwise. https://counterwise.eu/airports/fao/report (data updated 12 November 2026).

Permalink

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